Classic British Essays Of Travel by Francis Bacon

A statesman, scientist, philosopher, and author, Francis Bacon is generally regarded as the first major English essayist. The first edition of his Essayes appeared in 1597, not long after the publication of Montaignes influential Essais.  Editor John Gross has characterized Bacons essays  as masterpieces of rhetoric; their glowing commonplaces have never been surpassed. By 1625, when this version of Of Travel appeared in the third edition of Essayes  or Counsels, Civill and Morall, European travel was already part of the education of many young aristocrats. (See the essay by Owen Felltham also titled Of Travel.) Consider the value of Bacons advice to the present-day traveler:   keep a diary, rely on a guidebook, learn the language, and avoid the company of fellow countrymen. Also notice how Bacon relies on list structures and parallelism to organize a number of his recommendations and examples. Of Travel by Francis Bacon Travel, in the younger sort, is a part of education; in the elder a part of experience. He that travelleth into a country, before he hath some entrance into the language, goeth to school, and not to travel. That young men travel under some tutor or grave servant, I allow well; so that he be such a one that hath the language, and hath been in the country before; whereby he may be able to tell them what things are worthy to be seen in the country where they go, what acquaintances they are to seek, what exercises or discipline the place yieldeth; for else young men shall go hooded, and look abroad little. It is a strange thing, that in sea-voyages, where there is nothing to be seen but sky and sea, men should make diaries; but in land travel, wherein so much is to be observed, for the most part they omit it; as if chance were fitter to be registered than observation: let diaries, therefore, be brought in use. The things to be seen and observed are, the courts of princes, especially when they give audience to ambassadors; the courts of justice, while they sit and hear causes; and so of consistories ecclesiastic [church councils]; the churches and monasteries, with the monuments which are therein extant; the walls and fortifications of cities and towns; and so the havens and harbours, antiquities and ruins, libraries, colleges, disputations, and lectures, where any are; shipping and navies; houses and gardens of state and pleasure, near great cities; armories, arsenals, magazines, exchanges, burses, warehouses, exercises of horsemanship, fencing, training of soldiers, and the like: comedies, such whereunto the better sort of persons do resort; treasuries of jewels and robes; cabinets and rarities; and, to conclude, whatsoever is memorable in the places where they go; after all which the tutors or servants ought to make diligent inquiry. As for triumphs, masks, feasts, weddings, funerals, capital executions, and such shows, men need not to be put in mind of them: yet are they not to be neglected. Overseas travel during Francis Bacons time wasnt something just anyone could do, and without air travel, it wasnt something one did on a lark for a quick vacation, either. It took a lot longer to get somewhere, so once there, you were going to stay a while. In this section he advises travelers to have a tutor in the language or a servant whos been to the place before as a guide. Today this advice still can apply, though you dont have to hire someone to go with you. Maybe you know someone whos been to the country or city before and can give you dos and donts. You can have a travel agent put together an itinerary for you. When you get there, you can hire a local guide or find tours at the local tourism office. Bacons point is to draw on others knowledge of the place before you go, so you dont end up walking around blindfolded (hooded) and not able to fully understand the place while you experience it. Learning any of the local language that you can before you depart only helps you in the daily details of getting from point A to point B and finding the absolute essentials: food and drink, a place to sleep, and lavatory facilities, though Bacon was too genteel to point these items out specifically.   He advises people to keep a journal of what they see and experience, which is good advice as well. Trips last only so long, and memories of the finer details can fade. If you write them down, though, youll be able to re-experience the trip later, through your first-impression eyes. And dont just write down a few things on the way over there and then drop it. Keep it up throughout your trip where youll be seeing new things all the time. See historical buildings where courts of princes or courts of justice took place. See churches, monasteries, monuments, town walls and fortifications, harbors and shipyards, ruins, and colleges and libraries. You might be able to see fencing demonstrations or horse shows, though nowadays youre likely not to run into many capital executions. You can take in plays and attend talks, see artifacts, and do whatever other activities of interest your guide or friend recommended are musts for the place.  Ã‚   If you will have a young man to put his travel into a little room, and in short time to gather much, this you must do: first, as was said, he must have some entrance into the language before he goeth; then he must have such a servant, or tutor, as knoweth the country, as was likewise said: let him carry with him also some card, or book, describing the country where he travelleth, which will be a good key to his inquiry; let him keep also a diary; let him not stay long in one city or town, more or less as the place deserveth, but not long: nay, when he stayeth in one city or town, let him change his lodging from one end and part of the town to another, which is a great adamant of acquaintance; let him sequester himself from the company of his countrymen, and diet in such places where there is good company of the nation where he travelleth: let him, upon his removes from one place to another, procure recommendation to some person of quality residing in the place whither he removeth; th at he may use his favour in those things he desireth to see or know; thus he may abridge his travel with much profit. Besides language tutoring and advice from a friend, Bacon advises that you want a good guidebook to help you get around, which is still perfectly good advice today. He also advises to not spend too long in any one place—not even in the same part of town. Try out different sections. And dont isolate yourself with your traveling group or people from your home country. Interact with the locals. Get advice from residents of the place youre visiting on what to see and do and where to eat. Your travel will be richer for it if follow locals recommendations because youll find places that you might not otherwise have found. Some advice never goes out of style. As for the acquaintance which is to be sought in travel, that which is most of all profitable, is acquaintance with the secretaries and employed men of ambassadors; for so in travelling in one country he shall suck the experience of many: let him also see and visit eminent persons in all kinds, which are of great name abroad, that he may be able to tell how the life agreeth with the fame; for quarrels, they are with care and discretion to be avoided: they are commonly for mistresses, healths, place, and words; and let a man beware how he keepeth company with choleric and quarrelsome persons; for they will engage him into their own quarrels. When a traveller returneth home, let him not leave the countries where he hath travelled altogether behind him; but maintain a correspondence by letters with those of his acquaintance which are of most worth; and let his travel appear rather in his discourse than in his apparel or gesture; and in his discourse, let him be rather advised in his ans wers, than forward to tell stories: and let it appear that he doth not change his country manners for those of foreign parts; but only prick in some flowers of that he hath learned abroad into the customs of his own country. For a 17th century aristocrat, it was probably easier to make acquaintance with ambassadors employees, but they didnt have travel agents or the internet, either, to find out about destinations. Its definitely good advice to be on good behavior while traveling, though.  Ã‚   Upon your return, as Bacon points out, your friends arent going to want to hear you go on and on ad nauseam about your trip. Neither should you discard your previous way of life and completely adopt the customs of the place youve just returned from. But definitely do learn from your experience and incorporate knowledge and practices that youve picked up to make your life better—at home.

William Blake in Contrast of Songs of Innocence and of...

EN 222-Intro to British Lit. II April 21, 2012 William Blake in contrast of Songs of Innocence and of Experience William Blake, an engraver, exemplified his passion for children through his many poems. Blake lived in London most of his life and many fellow literati viewed him as eccentric. He claimed to have interactions with angels and prophets, which had a great influence on his outlook of life. Blake believed all prominent entities, those being church, state, and government had become sick with greed and hatred; and Christianity had somehow failed. According to Jeffery Bell in Industrialization and Imperialism, 1800 – 1914 â€Å"Blake’s simple language and use of vernacular spoke to the rebellion against established order and authority.†¦show more content†¦This poem implies that it could possibly be Satan. The â€Å"distant deeps† and â€Å"burnt the fire of thine eyes† suggest its creation in hell. The mystery behind Blake’s poem is left to the interpretation of the reader. Another poem from Songs of Experience is Infant Sorrow. This poem repre sents childbirth, and the pain associated with it. In addition, it signifies the uncertainty the child feels entering into unknown surroundings. The baby is swaddled and placed into the arms of what he feels is a stranger (his father) and laid upon his mother’s breast to sooth him. Blake’s analysis of childbirth allows the reader to experience the possible perspective of an infant as it enters the world. Blake’s unique way of writing challenges his readers to analyze each poem wondering if their interpretations are correct. Finally, years later, Blake wrote another rendition of The Chimney Sweeper. This time the child is considered experienced. The child, no longer innocent, understands his hopeless situation. He realizes his parents have purposely surrendered him to a life of despair. The child speaks the truth without any dreams or thoughts of rescue. Blake depicts the child’s senseless pain and suffering, in hopes of helping to eradicate child labor. M ost of these poems mentioned from the Songs of Experience, are free from imaginary dreams and happy endings. Blake wanted his readers to connect with both the Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience. These poems, although different,Show MoreRelatedWilliam Blakes Infant Joy and Infant Sorrow Essay1012 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Infant Joy† from â€Å"Songs of Innocence† by William Blake is a simple song that highlights the joy of childbirth from a mother’s perspective. The mother asks the child what she should name the newborn child. The newborn names itself Joy, because that is all it knows. In contrast â€Å"Infant Sorrow† from â€Å"Songs of Experience† by William Blake is a simple song that focuses on childbirth from the infants perspective. It is a much less pleasant experience compared to that of the mother’s. The newborn strugglesRead More An Analysis of Blakes The School Boy Essay1745 Words   |  7 Pagesof Blakes Songs of Innoc ence and Songs of Experience in its themes and imagery. Like many of the other poems in this work it deals with childhood and the subjugation of its spirit and uses imagery from the natural world. While first published in 1789 as one of the Songs of Innocence there are strong reasons why Blake moved it to the Experience1 section of the 1794 edition. If we compare it to other poems in the collection it sits better with others in Experience than those in Innocence. On firstRead MoreEssay The Writings of William Blake1106 Words   |  5 PagesWilliam Blake was one of England’s greatest writers (Tejvan) in the nineteenth century, but his brilliancy was not noticed until after he was deceased. Blake was very much a free spirit who often spoke his mind and was very sensitive to cruelty. At the age of twenty five he married a woman named Catherine Boucher. They created a book of all Blake’s poems called Songs on Innocence, which was not very popular while he was alive. On the other hand Blake’s other book of poems, Songs of Experience, wereRead MoreWilliam Blake Songs of Innocence Experience1256 Words   |  6 PagesSweeper† Songs of Innocence amp; Experience analysis with, William Blake In 1794 William Blake’s work was known and published as a collection of poems that were put together as one book called Songs of innocence amp; Songs of Experience. In the collection Blake titles a poem, â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†, and this one is viewed in two ways: Innocence and experience. In the book of innocence Blake shows how poor innocent children are being abused and mistreated during this time era. In Songs of innocenceRead MoreThe Chimney Sweepers By William Blake862 Words   |  4 Pages The Chimney Sweepers William Blake has written two poems with the same title of Chimney Sweeper, however each poem was written to portray a different perspective of similar situations. The poem Chimney Sweep (Songs of Experience) is written in a bleaker scope compared to Chimney Sweep (Songs of Innocence) which happens to be much more optimistic.Willaim Blake had written these stories as foils of one another and which has helped readers compare and contrast the messages that the poems are tryingRead MoreInnocence and Experience Essay1422 Words   |  6 PagesRevolution, the American Revolution and wars of national independence in Europe. William Blake, one of well known Romantic poets, commented on his society by viewing it through the child’s eyes in the two sets of ‘Songs of innocence and of Experience’. It is said that ignorance is a blessing but not according to William Blake. Blake has another meaning to ‘Innocence’; He refers innocence to ignorance. This means that innocence is corrupted and full of naivety. It is the ignorance of corruption, of theRead MoreEssay on Biography of William Blake1631 Words   |  7 Pagesinspire your work and success. William Blake was a famous artist, engraver and poet. However, it was not until 1863 that he became famous when Alexander Gilchrist published his biography(Blake, William, and Geoffrey Keynes).Blake and his poetry have been compared to Shakespeare (Kathleen Raine). As an artist Blake was equated to Michelangelo. Being born during the time of both the American and French Revolution, William Blake was against both the Church and the State. Blake was a Dualist, believing theRead MoreWilliam Blake s The Chimney1713 Words   |  7 PagesThe Pre-Romantic poet William Blake grew up in a world that was undergoing dramatic changes. With the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century, child labor bec ame a common practice throughout Britain. The children were oppressed and had a diminutive existence and were forced to work long hours in the factories, mills, coal mines and chimneys, in dangerous and inhumane conditions. The chimneys were often only seven inches wide and only a child was small enough to fit inside and brush cleanRead MoreWilliam Blake s Innocence And Experience Analysis Essay1529 Words   |  7 PagesIsha Fidai Amber Drown English 2323 14 September 2016 William Blake s Innocence and Experience Analysis The Romantic Era was a movement in literature that began in the late seventeenth century throughout the eighteenth century that was mainly influenced by the natural world and idealism. Romanticism was predominantly focused on emotion and freedom emphasizing individualism. Formed as an uprising against neoclassicism, romanticism was more abstract, focusing on feelings and imaginations, insteadRead MoreThe Lamb and the Tyger Essay1437 Words   |  6 PagesTyger and The Lamb by William Blake, written in 1794 included both of these poems in his collection Songs of Innocence and Song of Experience, takes readers on a journey of faith. Through a cycle of unanswered questions, William Blake motivates the readers to question God. These two poems are meant to be interpreted in a comparison and contrast. They share two different perspectives, those being innocence and experience. To Blake, innocence is not better than experience. Both states have their

Japanese Investment in World Economy †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Japanese Investment in World Economy. Answer: Introduction The present report is developed for providing an analysis of the organizational changes in the Sony Corporation responsible for its preset growth and success. This has been carried out through analyzing the case study of Sony Corporation that has highlighted the strategies adopted by the Sony for overcoming its declining profitability. The case study has provided an analysis of the performance of the company since the few past years in order to provide an evaluation of its decisions. The report has provided an evaluation of the decisions that the company has taken for improving its growth and profitability. Sony Corporation, a leading Japanese multinational electronics company, has diversified business including electronics, entertainment and financial services since its establishment. The company since its establishment has undergone various structural changes for improving its financial performance. The company attained an international recognition for its electronic products soon after its establishment in the year 1971 (Farrell, 2008). However, its financial performance suffered a setback in the consecutive years due to the impact of foreign exchange rates and increasing competition in the global marketplace. The companys financial performance has been declining over the past few years. The company has recorded an operating loss from the period 2010-2012 due to degrading performance of its business segments such as consumer products and services and professional devices and solutions. The increasing competition from the global competitors such as Samsung, Canon and LG further impact ed negatively its sales in the international market. The company recorded an operating loss of about 456.7 billion in the year 2012 with a significant increase in the capital expenditure to about 295.1 billion (Sony Corporation, 2012). The main reason for the declining sales of the company was attributed to its existing organizational structure. The company was operating is several business segments and thus lost focus on its major segments. The company operates in various divisions that are entertainment, insurance and chip manufacturing. The major operations of the company are focused on the electronic products such as audio and video equipments, radio, television and many others. As such, the company is presently focusing on transforming its organizational structure for overcoming its present business challenges. The CEO of the company has introduced a new management structure One Sony in the year 2012 for reinforcing and integrating its overall business structure. This is done mainly to succeed in the global competitive marketplace by focusing on the companys core competencies and strengths. The company is estimated to record an increase in the revenue by 5.2% on an annual basis with the transformation of its o rganizational structure (Sony Corporation, 2012). The company was believed to have a downfall in its financial performance due to its diversified organizational structure with several business segments having their own mission and vision statement. Also, the negative impact of foreign exchange rates after the downturn experienced by the economy of Japan due to Earthquake and floods in the year 2011 has also impacted its performance to a large extent. The company with its existing organizational structure is not able to focus on a major business segment. The increasing competition in the external marketplace also had resulted in reducing the sales and income generation of the company. The CEO of Sony Corporation in order to overcome from the existing challenges has implemented new structural changes in its business segments for improving its competitive position and overcoming from the operating losses. The new organizational structure introduced by the management One Sony focuses on reinforcing its diverse business segments so that it can devise strategies for improving the performance of its major business units (SonyCorporation, 2012). The strategic shift of the company is intended to integrate its operational activities so that it can focus on its core capabilities and competencies. The reorganization of the company structure is believed to achieve the satisfaction of the customers through emphasising on electronic products market and thus securing its competitive image (George, Frynas and Mellahi, 2015). The company has also announced a strategic plan in the year 2012 for overcoming its present business challenges as follows: To strengthen its core business in the area of electronics products To undertake expansion in the emerging markets To create new business through introducing innovative products As per this strategic plan, the company has strategically transformed its business segments into mainly digital imaging, game and mobile. There will be a single management team working together with the heads of each business unit and developing the overall financial, corporate and business strategies. These strategic initiatives of the company were aimed to strengthen its brand image in the international market through driving its growth and profitability. As analyzed from the consolidated financial statements of the Sony Corporation given in the case study, the strategic initiatives have not helped in improving its financial performance. The company had succeeded in reducing its operational cost and expenditure from the year 2010-2012 as depicted in its consolidated statement of income. The cost and expenses has reduced from 7,151,991 million to 6,438,790 from the year 2010-2012. However, there is no significant increase in the sales and operating revenue in the year 2012 with the adoption of the strategic changes as depicted from its income statement. The sales and operating revenue has decreased from 7,213,998 million to 6,493,212 from the period 2010-2012. This is mainly due to the increase in the income taxes levied on the company in the year 2016 and also due to reduction its operating income realized from other business activities (Sony Corporation, 2012). The strategic change in the financial performance of the company over the year 2010-2012 can be evaluated through the use of ratio analysis. The ratio analysis will help in analyzing the profitability and liquidity realized by the company after the adoption of the strategic changes in the year 2012 as follows: Profitability Analysis: The profitability analysis of the company can be done through the evaluation of the net profit ratio. The net profit ratio examines the profitability realized by the company after meeting all its operating expenses such as taxes. The formula for calculating the net profit ratio can be stated as follows: Net Profit Ratio=Profit after tax/Sales Net Profit Ratio= -456,660.00/ 6,493,212.00 Net Profit Ratio= -7.03% Liquidity Analysis: The liquidity analysis of the company predicts its ability to meet its financial obligations through maintaining appropriate cash balance. It can be analyzed through the calculation of the current ratio. The current ratio measures the ability of a company to meet its short and long term obligations by providing an assessment of its current assets with that of its current liabilities. The current ratio of the company for the year 2012 can be calculated as: Current Ratio=Current Assets/Current Liabilities Current Ratio=3,754,962/4,529,981 Current Ratio=0.82 The ratio for the year 2011 can be calculated as follows: Current Ratio=3,844,046/4,135,299 Current Ratio=0.92 Therefore, it can be said from the ratio analysis of the company that its profitability and liquidity position has not improved even after the implementation of the strategic initiatives of organization restructure. On the contrary, the financial performance has further declined and therefore it can be said that the strategic actions taken by the management of the company has not proved to be successful (Sony Corporation, 2012). The competitor analysis of the company undertaken can also be depicted as follows: Profitability ratios of year 2012 Particulars Sony Apple Microsoft Revenue 6,493,212.00 $ 156,508.00 $ 73,723.00 Net Profit -456,660.00 $ 41,733.00 $ 16,978.00 Net Profit Ratio -7.03% 26.67% 23.03% It has been illustrated from the competitor analysis that the profitability of Sony Corporation has still not increased even after its restructuring in comparison to its competitors such as Apple and Microsoft. The company has still reported an operating loss while its competitors are achieving increasing profits in the electronic markets on a global level. The main reason for the failure of the strategic actions of the company can be its late implementation of the latest technologies for the manufacturing of the electronics products. The competitors have strengthened their brand image in the marketplace by providing innovative features in their electronics products. The Sony Corporation still lacks on technological platform from its competitors due to its poor performance in the past years as a result of economic downturn. The electronics market has reached an oversaturated position and therefore the company need to implement some long-term growth strategies in addition to restructu ring so that it can attain success in the future context (Sony Corporation, 2012). Conclusion Thus, it can be said from the overall analysis of the case study that strategic changes adopted by the Sony Corporation in the year 2012 has not proved to be successful in improving its financial growth. Therefore, it should develop some innovative growth strategies to survive in the highly competitive global electronics marketplace. References Farrell, R. 2008. Japanese Investment in the World Economy: A Study of Strategic Themes in the Internationalisation of Japanese Industry. Edward Elgar Publishing. George, J., Frynas and Mellahi, F. 2015. Global Strategic Management. Oxford University Press. Sony Corporation. 2012. Reinventing Itself to Rediscover the Technological Edge.